Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Last March, while standing in line to check out the Dim Sum Truck, I struck up a conversation with Mong Skillman, Owner of the Mandoline Grill Food Truck. New on the scene, her truck had only been around for a few weeks at the time. We had a really nice conversation and in the midst of it, I asked if she'd be willing to do a tasting for my dining group. It took only a few emails and we were set a month later.

So on a gray Sunday, we met for what was going to be a delicious event. It started with Mong telling us a little bit about her inspiration. First and foremost, all the recipes for the food are based on family recipes, many of which are used at her Mom's Vietnamese restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii. She also talked about how she got her start interning and training with Mama's Hot Tamales and the Dosa Truck and eventually serving her food at the patio of the Verdugo Bar. In regards to her menu, Mong also mentioned that she's very supportive of the vegan community and that shows in that she offers vegan bread and vegan "fish" sauce as options.

After Mong's intro, we went straight into our tasting which started with Chả Giò which were vegan crispy spring rolls served w/herbs, lettuce wrap and traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce. We were instructed to wrap the spring rolls and the herbs with the lettuce leaf and enjoy it that way. I've never done that before and I have to say that there's something about eating something fresh with something fried that was appealing. As for the spring roll itself, I really liked that it was crispy and not oily.

From the crispy spring rolls, we had the Chicken Curry with a Baguette. This was my first time having Vietnamese curry. I've never seen it at any Vietnamese restaurant I've been to, but maybe, I need to check more out. This curry was more on the sweet side with chunks of sweet potatoes and just a hint of heat. The addition of the bread to soak in that curry was genius. I liked this curry, but would have preferred it to be spicier than it was, but there were also members of my group who thought it was just perfect the way it was. Maybe, there should be both a non-spicy and a spicy version on the menu? I'd definitely go for the curry with the kick.

The next three items on our tasting menu were their banh mi sandwiches. Before I talk about each individual sandwich, I have to tell you that the bread was superb. The bread was golden, crusty and not soft and sweet, which I've experienced before. I thought the toppings were fresh and crunchy, although I would have liked them to be a bit more vinegary, but that's just my preference. First up was their Grilled Beef Banh Mi Sandwich, which was generous when it came to the beef itself. The beef had a good flavor to it. I couldn't quite identify the seasoning used, but I enjoyed every bite.

Our second banh mi was the Grilled Pork. The quality of the pork meat itself was good, but I thought it needed more flavor, perhaps a stronger marinade? It would also have tasted even better if there was more of a char to it. I had asked Mong about the pork and she had mentioned that the griddle available in the truck doesn't allow for much charring and that normally, she doubles the marinade for the pork to ensure that it absorbs the seasonings better. Perhaps, this just wasn't one of the better batches.

The third banh mi we tried was the vegan Lemongrass Tofu. I liked the fact that the tofu was fried, which gave it more of a firmness than if it was served otherwise. The tofu had a nice light refreshing taste to it with a hint of ginger. I actually liked it the best of the three banh mi sandwiches we tried, which says a lot, since I don't eat tofu on a regular basis.

To end our meal, we had the Grilled Pork Bún which is rice noodles served with traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce. I was actually getting full at this point, but I went ahead and poured the sauce in, mixed it up and took a couple of bites. If I hadn't had so much food already, I would have finished the whole thing. I enjoyed the fresh crunch of the vegetables and the chew of the noodles. This would be a perfect light lunch on its own.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Mandoline Grill's food. Everything tasted fresh and I appreciated how Mong cooked and/or prepared everything to order. The general consensus of all the food truck diners in attendance was that Mandoline Grill is a truck worth chasing and even better for me, they tend to stay in the Eastside part of town, which means I don't have to go too far if I want to get another Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Thanks to Rachel Krupa of Krupa Consulting, PR rep for XIV by Michael Mina, a guest and I were hosted by XIV to try out their New $40 6 Course Chef's Tasting Menu and since a tasting menu is so much more fun with a group, a few of my dining club members attended as well. Our meal started with a dish that actually wasn't part of the tasting menu. It was toasted pita bread with a dipping sauce made with feta and yogurt. That feta and yogurt sauce was quite refreshing with the feta cutting into the tartness of the yogurt.

Our first course was Ahi Tuna Tartare, Ancho Chile, Pears, Mint, Pine Nuts and Sesame Oil. What I found interesting was that all the dishes were served on trays that were put in the middle of the table for diners to serve themselves. I never dined that way before, but it was nice to just get your food whenever you were finished with the course you were currently enjoying. As for the Ahi Tuna, I think the sesame oil was a tad over powering, but I like the small bite of heat that came from the ancho chile.

For our second course, we had the XIV Caesar, Classic Dressing, Shaved Parmesan Reggiano and White Anchovy. Unfortunately, we all found this salad a bit uninspiring, especially in comparison to the rest of the menu. If a salad was going to be included, I think a better choice would have been their Heirloom Beets or Sam's Chopped Salad or if they're going to stick with the XIV Caesar, a more intensely flavored dressing and beautifully crunchy romaine may have done the trick.

Our third course was the Tai Snapper, Tapioca-Crusted, Broccoli Rabe and White Soy Vinaigrette. By far, this was the favorite dish of the group. The fish was light and delicate and paired well with the slight bitterness of the broccoli rabe. One of my dining partners mentioned that he could have easily eaten 6 courses of just that one dish.

The fourth course was Jidori Chicken “Tajine”, Vadouvan, Baby Carrot, Fennel, Petit Cilantro. Cooking chicken breast meat is no small feat because if not done well, it's dry; however, this chicken for this dish was tender and moist and I thought the vadouvan sauce was tasty.

Our fifth course was the Grilled American Wagyu Skirt with Moroccan Spiced Vegetables. That skirt steak was cooked perfectly. Pink in the middle and seared on the surface, this steak was tender and juicy. I definitely would not have turned away a couple more plates of this steak.

For our final course, we had the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta with Mandarin, Yuzu and Lemongrass. I enjoyed the refreshing tartness of this dessert and I thought it was a great way to end the meal.

Overall, this was a nice light meal and my group had a great time. The restaurant also had a wonderful ambiance and I loved that we got to sit by the fireplace which added a wonderful touch to the evening. If you have a large appetite, you may want to consider ordering a la carte dishes to supplement your dinner.

But considering that the tasting menus at XIV range from $64 to $112, this 6 Course $40 Chef's Tasting Menu is a great way to get a feel for the food first without having to dig too deep into your wallet just yet. So if you haven't given XIV a try yet, this may be the perfect time to do so while this $40 Chef's Tasting Menu is still available.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Congrats to Dina Leigh for Winning the $50 Gift Card to Seoul Town Tapas from the Breadbar!

Ever since I saw Debbie Lee compete on the America's Next Food Network Star Show, I was really interested in her cooking style that fused both her Korean and Southern background. Unfortunately, I had missed her first stint at BreadBar as a part of their Hatchi series, but I wasn't about to miss her second one. This time, her second appearance was going to serve as an introduction to the type of food she plans to serve at her own restaurant opening later this year. Simply, her concept is all about Seoul Town Tapas, where the food is a take on Korean pub food, but with a modern flair.

Since tapas are fun to share with a good-size group, 9 of my dining club members, joined me one Saturday evening where we shared a total of 17 dishes plus a couple of kimchi dishes in place of bread and butter. Being a kimchi fan, I'd take it over bread and butter anytime. Besides, it's less filling so that over indulging in it means you still have room for your meal.

Both the daikon and the cabbage kimchi were very light in the sense that you get a taste of the chili and also some vinegary-sour flavor notes, but the vegetables still shined through. While I still love my kimchi very heavily fermented to the point that the vegetables take on a deep orange red, this lighter style of kimchi is good starter for the novice kimchi eater.

Although our group ordered all 4 skewers, I actually only tried two of them. First, there was the Bacon Wrapped Rice Cylinders with Jalapeno Ponzu. You can never go wrong with bacon and of all 4 skewers, this one was the absolute favorite of the group. The rice absorbed the smoky saltiness of the bacon and dipping it into the jalapeno ponzu gave it nice little hit of citrus heat.

I also tried the Kimchi Roast Pork and Fuji Apple Skewers. Apples and pork usually pair really well together and in this case, the apple did its job and was crunchy and juicy. However, the roast pork was a little dry and wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked. If you're going to use kimchi as a way to describe an ingredient, you really have to mean it.

As mentioned, I didn't try the other two skewers, but you can take a look at them below. The first is the Grilled Eggplant and Tofu Skewer with Pimento Scallion Glaze and the second is the Salmon and Scallion Skewer with Korean Miso Honey.

Next up was the Sesame Flatbread with Perillo Pesto, Soy Braised Pork and Chile Tomatoes. Other than wishing that the pesto was spread out a little more towards the edges of the flat bread so I could get more of it, I enjoyed this dish. The herbiness of the pesto sauce went nicely with the salt-sweet of the soy sauce braised pork with the tomatoes adding a nice acidity and since I love thin crust pizza, I appreciated the crispiness of the flatbread itself.

Since I enjoy bold flavors, the stir-fried kimchi, pork, rice cakes with a gochujang splash made my taste buds happy. The gochujang is a Korean red pepper paste and it definitely added an extra oomph to this dish, which I truly appreciated.

When it comes to Korean dumplings aka mandu, I've had my share and there's only been two I've liked so far and one of them is Chef Lee's Modern Mandu with Pork Rilette and King Oyster Ju. At first, I wasn't quite sure of the whole oyster ju thing. Pork and oysters? Huh? However, the subtle brininess of the oyster jus actually paired well with this dumpling. In fact, many of us were spooning it into our dumpling as we took bites out of it.

One of my almost favorite dishes of the meal was the Chicken Meatballs with Magnolia Pepper Sauce and let me tell you why. I absolutely loved the crispy texture of the meatball and the sauce it was cooked in was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, the chicken meat itself seemed under seasoned. Maybe, just a little salt and/or pepper and hand's down, this would have been tops on my list.

Following the chicken meatballs was Mama Lee's Meatloaf made with ground rib eye, soy onion demi and crispy shitake mushrooms. We weren't initially going to order this particular dish, but after Chef Lee came out to tell us about some of the dishes on the menu, her description of this one sounded so scrumptious, we had to have it. I'm so glad I did. That meatloaf was so juicy and flavorful, I almost wish that we ordered another 2 or 3 plates, just so I could have seconds, maybe, even thirds.

Up next was the Shrimp and Scallion Cakes with Ginger Soy Vinegar. To tell you the truth, although I know that liked this dish, I don't remember any specifics about it at the moment; however, if you order it, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ok, three more dishes before dessert and next to hit our table was the Halibut Jeon Style, Egg Battered with Kimchi Stir Fry and Seoul-Style Chimichurri. I liked the kimchi stir fry and the chimichurri. Unfortunately, the fish itself was a little too dry. Perhaps, it was overcooked? I'm not quite sure. Of everything we had that night, this was my least favorite dish.

Seeing Korean Fried Chicken on the menu, I knew we had to order it. The chicken itself was moist and tender, but the garlic glaze needed to be more garlicky than it was, but that could also just be a personal preference.

Our last savory dish was the Spicy Chilled Buckwheat Noodles, Sashimi Trio, Scallion and Crisp Apples. I really like cold noodle dishes and this version was quite good. I could have easily just eaten the whole bowl by myself if I hadn't already been getting full.

Of course, I'm never too full for dessert and we decided to sample 3 of the desserts on the menu. Although we only ordered 3, all 4 actually came out, but when we had mentioned that we hadn't actually ordered that fourth dessert, they let us have it anyway and took it off our check. Now that's good service. That fourth dessert was a Nutella and Blueberry Sandwich on a Pan di Mie Bread. Usually, nutella could be really sweet, but the addition of the blueberry cut into that sweet and gave the sandwich more of a tartness, which I thought was genius.

Next was the Fuji Apple Egg Rolls with Ginger Mascarpone. I enjoyed the crispy egg roll wrappers and the sweet apples. The ginger mascarpone could have been more gingery, but I still enjoyed slathering it on my egg roll and even just eating small spoonfuls of it.

With bacon being one of my favorite food groups, I absolutely loved the Bacon Coffee Sponge Cake Roll with Coffee Cream and Almond Butterscotch. I liked how the soft, mild sponge cake was the foundation for all the other stronger flavored ingredients around it. I could even seeing myself eating this for breakfast. After all, doesn't bacon, coffee and eggs (albeit in the sponge cake) say breakfast to you? It does to me.

Of our four desserts, my least favorite was the Sesame Buttermilk Beignets with Chocolate Drizzle. When I think of beignets, I'm thinking light and airy and these beignets were too dense for my liking. Even the chocolate syrup didn't add much to it. Maybe, if it was filled with cream, but then I don't know if that's a typical ingredient for beignets.

Overall, while there some minor misses, this meal was one I enjoyed a lot and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Chef Debbie Lee comes up with when she finally does open up her own restaurant.

Now that you've read and seen pictures of my experience with Debbie Lee's Seoul Town Tapas, now you're chance to win a $50 Gift Card that will give you a chance to check out Debbie Lee's food at Breadbar for yourself. Please note that this gift card will only be good for Seoul Town Tapas and you should only enter if you can make reservations between April 22 and May 1st.

There are multiple ways to enter, so check them all out below.

1. Leave a comment and tell me why you'd like to you'd like to try Chef Debbie Lee's Seoul Town Tapas. (Please leave your email so that I can contact you. Spell it out like abby at pleasurepalate dot com)

You can have up to 5 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them. This is especially true for 2 through 4. If you don’t let me know which actions you took, then I won’t count them as entries.

Contest ends Wednesday, April 21 at 11:59 AM, PST and a winner will be randomly chosen from all entries. Good Luck!

For tonight's event, the focus will be on the terroir of wine and chocolate that will involve a single source tasting of wines and chocolates from different parts of the world to see the effect of different environments on both for just $20. Click here to RSVP.

Learn some great tips and have a tasty steak lunch paired with wine at Fleming's Steakhouse all for just $40. To win a chance for a $100 Gift Card to any Fleming's Steakhouse in the US, click here.Click here to RSVP.

Monday, April 05, 2010

Last year, I set up a fun event at Fleming's Steakhouse at L.A. Live for my dining group where Chef Partner, Calvin Holladay, did a very informative Steak 101 class where we learned about selecting steaks, cutting and prepping the steaks as well as some great grilling tips. There was a lot of information and I took as many notes as I could. Hopefully, I'll be able to share what I learned in this post and even more so, that I got the info correct.

One of the first things Chef Holladay mentioned was what to look for in a steak when purchasing it. Simply, the steak must have a bright red suface, a good marbling and a firm texture. Afterwards, he gave a demonstration of how to cut a Rib Loin into steaks. When cutting this piece of meat, other than a sharp knife, you also need a large cutting board. To hold it in place, either take a wet rag and put it under the board or get a slip mat. The last thing you want is that cutting board slipping and you getting a cut.

After he cut the Rib Loin into steaks, he gathered them together in his hand and cut off the fatty tail end of the meat, which could be saved to later grease the grill. Chef Holladay also mentioned that the loin side of the beef wasn't as fatty as the chuck side of the beef. Another term he brought up that I never heard of before was "Deckle". I found a lively discussion about it on eGullet and also at this link. Chef Holladay described it to us as the fatty area around the Rib Eye and basically, it goes up to where the Rib Eye ends to where the New York Steak starts.

After slicing off that fatty end of the steaks, he placed them on a tray lined with a peach colored paper. Apparently, there was actually something special about this paper. This peach colored paper is made from peach skins, which has an enzyme that helps to keep the steak red. You can ask your local butcher for them or you can also purchase them here.

Those steaks were going to be part of our lunch so those were put aside and now we got to see what different cuts of steak looked like and also what the differences were between some of them. For example, we learned the following:

New York Steak: a t-bone with the tenderloin and bone cut away. Not tender like a filet and not as fatty as a rib-eye. Basically, where the Rib-Eye ends, the New York Steak starts.

Filet Center Cut (or Filet Mignon): tapered, small end of the tenderloin. Tender, but with a light marbling so not as flavorful as other cuts of meat. The part of the filet that starts from the neck and goes towards the middle is sometimes referred to as Chateaubriand while the filet towards the tail are referred to as Tournedo. There's also a Bone-In Filet where you can get the Filet Mignon with the bone.

Porterhouse: on one side is a bone-in strip steak while the other side is a portion of the tenderloin.

Rib-Eye: the boneless cut of prime rib. With its rich marbling of fat, it is one of the most flavorful and juicy of steaks, although not as tender as the tenderloin. You can also get a Bone-In Rib-Eye for additional flavor.

When it comes to prepping your grill, as mentioned earlier, you can use the fat to grease the grill's surface or wrap a towel around some kind of utensil, dip it into oil and oil the grill that way. Once you've added the oil, shut your grill to let it heat up. Once you open it and see that the smoke that coming out is white, the grill is hot enough to cook your steak.

The one thing that Chef Holladay emphasized is that we shouldn't "play with our food", meaning that we shouldn't keep flipping the meat over and over every few seconds. Once the steak seems caramelized enough, than you flip it over. A general rule of thumb is 1 to 2 minutes per side. So after laying the steak on the grill, wait a minute and while still on the same side, turn it at a different angle to cook for another minute. This will give you great grill marks on your steak. After those 2 minutes, flip the steak over and repeat. Once there is a blood pool coming from the steak, the steak is going from a medium rare to medium. If you'd like to your steak more well done, turn it over again for another 1 to 2 minutes and so forth.

To test the doneness of your steak, you should feel the surface of your steak either with your index finger or a flat-sided utensil. We were actually shown a way to get a steak to our liking based on comparisons with our hand to the steak itself. For example, open your palm and touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your pinkie. Then touch the area below your thumb while it's in that position with the index finger on your hand. You'll notice that the area feels very firm. If your steak also feels very firm, it's well-done, so it goes as follows:

Thumb to Tip of Pinkie: Well-DoneThumb to Finger Next to Tip of Ring Finger: MediumThumb to Tip of Middle Finger: Medium RareThumb to Finger Next to Thumb: RareOpen Palm: Raw

Once you've gotten your steak to where you want it, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes after you take it off the grill before cutting into it. This will allow the juices to flow to the center so that you'll have a nice juicy steak. Keep in mind though that the longer you grill your steak, the less juicy it will be.

Chef Halladay mentioned that if the steak is of really good quality, you don't really need to season it too much and if you are going to season it, just use salt and pepper. Simply, just before you grill your steak, liberally sprinkle salt and pepper evenly on both sides of the steak. Don't be shy about covering the entire surface. As the steak is grilling, the salt and pepper turns into a golden brown crust that you could scrape away once you remove the steak from the grill.

Overall, Chef Halladay was a fountain of information and I definitely learned a lot more than I expected. After our class, we sat down to lunch starting with Rosemary Sourdough Bread with Champagne Brie and Roasted Tomato Herb Butter and Wine. That bread was really quite addicting, especially with the brie.

Our sides consisted of Sauteed Mushrooms and the Fleming's Potatoes with cream, jalapeños and cheddar cheese. The potatoes could have used a tad more jalapenos, but that's just my personal preference since I enjoy food with a kick, but the cheesy goodness of the potatoes more than made up for not enough jalapenos.

Finally, we got to try two different cuts of steak, the New York Steak and the Boneless Rib-Eye. Look at the perfect pinkness of both steaks to see they were cooked just right. When eating them side by side, you can really tell the differences with the Rib-Eye definitely being more flavorful and juicy, but the New York Steak was one of the best ones I've had in awhile.

Overall, this was a great learning experience. Chef Holladay really knew his stuff and that was really reflected in the steaks at our meal. I would definitely come back to the Los Angeles Fleming's Steakhouse location for meaty meal worth having and would even be open to checking out some of their other locations as well.

Armed with this new steak knowledge that I hopefully imparted to you, here's your chance to check out Fleming's Steakhouse for yourself where you could win a $100 Fleming's Steakhouse Gift Card for you to enjoy! This Gift Card will good for any Fleming's Steakhouse location in the US.

There are multiple ways to enter, so check them all out below.

1. Leave a comment and tell me why you'd like to win the $100 Fleming's Steakhouse Gift Card. (Please leave your email so that I can contact you. Spell it out like abby at pleasurepalate dot com)

You can have up to 5 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them. This is especially true for 2 through 4. If you don’t let me know which actions you took, then I won’t count them as entries.

Contest ends Tuesday, April 13 at 11:59 AM, PST and a winner will be randomly chosen from all entries. Open only to US Residents. Good Luck!

About Me

I'm a Dining Group Organizer and Food Blogger who has a passion for all things tasty and absolutely loves setting up culinary outings all over LA! If you'd like to contact me, my email address is abby@pleasurepalate.com.